


Ain't no sunshine

by cigarettesandalcohol



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Awkward Kissing, Awkwardness, English Premier League, Fluff, Football, M/M, Manchester United, Panic Attacks, Pre-Slash, eventual slash, or something of that kind in the 3rd chapter, shy boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-07-31 03:04:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20108131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cigarettesandalcohol/pseuds/cigarettesandalcohol
Summary: Scott sits next to the new boy on the plane to Australia.





	1. The plane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm poking a little at their interaction on Instagram. Scott constantly referred to Daniel as "the boy" in an interview, and he also commented on one of Dan's insta posts "The boy", to which Dan replied "Scotsman"). Let the ship sail far and wide! ;)

There was a lot of laughter on the board of the plane, so much that it actually took Scott back in his school days in his memories. His classmates would always do this, laugh and joke and tease each other mercilessly when they finally got out of their usual everyday routine. Well, classmates turned into squad-mates, they all got a little older and, in all honesty, quieter and more decent. Otherwise, it was still pretty much the same. Who's gonna sit with whom? Who's gonna be the one who falls asleep, much to the amusement of the others who will take it as an opportunity to bully him? Who's gonna talk non-stop the whole time? Who's gonna be the boring nerd reading? They haven't really changed _that much_.

Scott loved the positive atmosphere of such a long-distance journey. It was a long, tiring flight to Australia, but with this bunch of good-natured people, all with their hopes and beliefs set high for the upcoming season, it wasn't anything else but pure joy. He himself was definitely ready for the new challenges, and couldn't wait to play a proper game again, friendly or not, somewhere new. 

Naturally very perceptive and considerate to his surroundings, Scott kept his eyes on the two new boys as they were getting on the plane. They both seemed to be nice, well, of course he didn't have much time to really get to know them, but just from his observation, they were both a good addition to the team in terms of both game and spirit; both young, hungry and determined, though maybe a bit quiet, but that's probably always the case when you join a new team and you don't know anyone in there. Aaron was already seated and chatting with Gomes (Scott noticed himself nodding approvingly at that, as if he was ticking off items on a list in his mind), while Daniel just got onto his place by the window and the seat next to him was empty.

"Hey, can I sit here?"

The curly boy looked almost shocked when Scott spoke; just then Scott noticed that he was holding white airpods in his hand and was probably planning to spend the flight with that.

"Sure!"

He slid down in the seat, smiling apologetically. Dan squeezed the airpods in his palm and put them in his pocket. _Poor boy_, Scott thought; _he wanted to have a peaceful flight for sure, not to be bothered_ \- 

"It's gonna be a long flight," he said, as if he wanted to assure Dan that he's surely gonna get to listen to his music or podcasts or whatever he wanted to listen to.

"Yeah," Daniel nodded, and Scott could see the pain in his eyes as he was hastily trying to find something to mention or talk about to keep the conversation flowing. "I've never been to Australia."

"Me neither."

_Well, that was dreadful_. And now it was up to him to come up with something.

"So how are you? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good." An awkward smile spread on his face as he looked down on his shoes. 

_Oh come on, just talk to me_, Scott thought desperately. His intentions were simple - _get the boy to finally relax_ because he always seemed a bit unsure, a bit clumsy and a bit shy (when he was not playing), and this tour was supposed to be the moment he fits into the group. It was the first day, of course, and they barely even got into the plane; he couldn't expect for Dan to be best friends with half the squad already, but the fact that so many of the older guys seemed to ignore this new boy somehow hurt him. He hated to see the new boys alone, and his mission for this tour was to never leave them alone, unless of course they would prefer it. He had to make them feel welcomed, they had to learn to love the club from the beginning. 

"You're a bit shy, aren't you?" It sounded ridiculously cheery as he said it, and Daniel looked up again.

"Well - not that much, I don't know - It's just that this all is new for me and I don't know all the guys yet - "

"I see. I was the same, only at school, you know? I've been in Man United since I was a kid, but at school, when I joined my new class, I was that one kid in the corner who everyone thinks is mute."

Daniel chuckled.

"Luckily," Scott continued, feeling more confident as Dan was fully paying attention, "it was like that only in the beginnings. The first two or three...years."

Daniel laughed, and it was exactly the kind of pure and honest laughter that the older boy hoped for; there was a lot of relief in it. Alright, they can joke about this awkwardness, that's a good first step for the ices to be melted.

"And then I would pick one victim and make friends with them - and just stick with them for the rest of my school days. They had no chance to get rid of me."

"Be careful, I might stick with you for the rest of my career in Man United." Now that a bright smile was firmly set on Dan's face, his voice sounded more relaxed and clear. "You'll regret you ever sat next to me."

The older boy smirked.

"Just - to be sure - You're Scotty, right?"

He nodded. "Right."

Somehow, it sounded _different_ coming from Daniel.

"_Scotty_ \- " Daniel repeated quietly. "Quite a name for a Scotsman."

"Is my accent that bad?"

"The surname with 'Mc' is worse."

"_Now_ I'm starting to regret."

"Well, my name is not much better. Daniel James or James Daniel, nobody cares. Once I had this teacher - when I was seven or eight - and he always called me Jimmy - at first, I didn't even realize he was talking to me but - "

_It wasn't really that hard to get him to talk in the end, right_? Scott smiled, and ticked off another item from his mind list.

Next task:_ to take care of the boy_.


	2. The song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My new tumblr for this obsession is called "protect-daniel-james", you can come there to scream about their perfection (or about any other ship).  
(My old tumblr is slashandsports (just to be clear that I am the same person).)  
Kudos and comment are welcome! Hop in this ship and let it sail! :3

The idea of singing an initiation song in front of everyone wasn't really pleasant, and in any other case Dan would love to avoid it, but he didn't really want to spoil the fun of the night. He knew his voice was nothing special, and he wasn't really keen on singing in front of anyone else, but if that was part of being accepted in the team and a tradition, he was willing to stick to it and overcome his embarrassment. After all, he could at least comfort himself with the fact that Aaron wasn't a great singer as well.

So he took his turn and stood up on the chair, feeling his cheeks flush even before he started singing. This was indeed like some high school game, truth or dare, something of that kind. His mind just blacked out, he forgot his words at the moment he finished them, and after a whole verse, he was more than happy to jump down of the chair, listening to the booing and grunting coming from the whole room, reacting to his awful performance. It was all just a game, he knew it well, but still, he bowed his head down and felt too embarrassed to look at anyone. 

He then heard the Scotsman chuckle next to him. "Great voice," McTominay said, poking at his arm playfully. "Should have been a singer."

He snorted, feeling slightly annoyed. "Would love to hear _you_ sing in here. Then we can talk."

"No problem. I never had the chance to sing my initiation song - might as well give it a shot now."

"_Yes, please_," Daniel said sarcastically. Immediately, as if in an apology, he burst into a laughter.

He couldn't stop laughing even when Scott climbed on his chair and grabbed the spoon like a microphone, and felt a secondhand embarrassement from watching the tall Scotsman stand there awkwardly, waiting for the other guys to quiet down. 

The first words of Scotty's chosen song took him by a total surprise. It was the choice of the song itself,_ Ain't no sunshine_, who would have guessed?, and also the voice, oh God, the perfect, clean voice. _Who would have guessed_? Daniel couldn't contain his surprised amazement. He wanted to scream out like an idiot, while at the same time, he wouldn't dare to interrupt the song. It was crazy. He expected to have a good laugh, to joke about Scott's singing voice, to just feel and enjoy the bonding time with the team and not take anything and anyone seriously but Scott - he just sent his plans to ruins. His voice was _magnificent_.

Still, Daniel felt embarrassed, probably even more than he would if Scott was just squealing there and making a fool of himself. He couldn't control it; he buried his face in his hands, giggling uncontrollably. Why did his heart flutter? He wanted to hide his face, he knew he had to be blushing and he couldn't help it. Scott's voice was sending shivers down his spine - the power, the sound, the fact that this guy was just next to him and everyone in the room was watching him right now; it all only added to Dan's blush.

He hasn't felt like this since - yeah, since he played truth or dare the last time, probably during some school trip, and the cutest girl in the group kissed him. It was the same feeling of wanting to scream in happiness and get up and run and then just fall and bury his face in hands and laugh; the sweet, pure, innocent way of dealing with way too many emotions at once.

He looked up at Scott, who was smiling at him.

Oh. _Why did it feel the same?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Daniel and his cute little reaction to Scott's initiation song... :3


	3. The pain

He was used to the atmosphere of the stadium, he was used to being surrounded by fans who were shouting his name, reaching out to touch him, waving their scarves, shirts, and notebooks in his face to make him sign them - it was part of the football life, it was just what playing for a big club meant. He never cared about this whole fuss too much, it was part of his job, and if it made the fans happy, he was willing to give autographs until his hand was sore.

_Not today._

He should probably feel grateful for the support and love he was receiving after scoring his first penalty for the team, his brain was telling him to bite the bullet and carry on, go to the fans and spend some of his time with them, being the friendly and cheery boy they probably want him to be, but he physically couldn't force himself to do that.

It was all too much - the game, the penalty, the pressure and relief, and of course, of course, the memory of his dad, here in Cardiff - before and after scoring the penalty. He just wanted to disappear into the tunnel as fast as possible and be alone. On his way to the tunnel, he spotted a little boy in the stands, trying his best to lean over the railings and give his shirt and a pen to any of the players passing by and his heart felt even heavier. He couldn't ignore this young fan, and he stopped to sign the shirt, which, as he soon found out, was a huge mistake. As soon as he was standing by a group of fans, everyone went crazy. 

_"A photo! Daniel! A photo, please!" _

_"My shirt! Sign my shirt!" _

_"Dan, over here!" _

_"Please! Sign my shirt!" _

_"Daniel! Daniel!" _

_"Over here!" _

_ "Please!!!"_

He tried to hand the pen back to the boy and what seemed to be hundreds of hands reached out like some exotic carnivorous plant. Someone grabbed the pen, someone else took his hand, someone started chanting '_Dan, Dan, Dan, Dan' _and there were too many hands on his body, touching his arms and chest and head as if he was some kind of a talisman.

"_Daniel! Daniel_!"

He looked up and there were so many phones in those hands that were not all over him; and those hungry eyes were just waiting for the right moment to take a picture - Daniel tried to smile and politely continue his walk towards the dressing room but they stopped him; the grabbed his shoulders, his neck, his head, they were holding him by the shirt, keeping him in place - at least if he didn't want to explicitly _run away_. He didn't want to do that, he didn't want to seem ungrateful and rude, he wanted to show that he appreciates the support and love he's received - but the sound of voices shouting at him, begging and instructing him, while so many hands were just pushing him around, making him sick and short of breath.

He couldn't catch his breath under all the touches and forced photos, and as felt vertigo take over him, even his attempt of saving face had to go. He needed to take a deep breath again, inhale and exhale, he remembered those simple instructions clearly because he heard them from his mom when she was talking to him over the phone on the day when his father -

He managed to sneak out of the demanding hands and rushed towards the tunnel with bowed head, feeling the tears rise to his eyes.

Fuck, surely he wasn't gonna cry in here?

Somehow, he got into the dressing room, blinded by the tears, and he stumbled across the room to his spot on the bench. Some of the guys patted him on the back, saying something like 'Good job, Dan!' and 'Great shot', while he just swallowed the tears and sat down, eyes still fixed on the ground.

"Look at him, he doesn't even brag about his goal," someone joked, and he forced out a fake laugh. Thankfully, the guys were too busy to notice his pitiful state, that was the one positive thing about the whole situation.

"_Danny_?" A light touch on his knee convinced him _not everyone_ was too busy to notice him and his struggle. To make everything worse, it was the nickname 'Danny', the one nobody used for him - _anymore_ \- "Are you okay?"

"I need some air - some fresh air and space - "

Even the words were harder to say; with every other one he gasped for some of the longed-for air but it wasn't enough. He was choking, and the tight feeling in his chest was causing him to panic and the panic lead to even worse lack of air. He was choking.

He knew he couldn't go outside but he still needed to get somewhere else - somewhere with not so many people around, somewhere where he would at least be able to breathe in normally, without the hysterical shaking.

He got up from the bench and hurried towards the open doors leading to the bathroom; nobody was in the showers yet and the whole room was empty. There was no window, though Daniel would swear he saw it there before the match, the small, bathroom kind of window, up in the wall - it wasn't there. No window meant no fresh air, no world outside the stadium - and no world outside his own head; he couldn't go back to face all the lads again, he couldn't sprint out of the stadium through the crowds of people, and he was trapped here. He moved fast, looking for a place to sit down or just crouch down and disappear, if possible; to calm himself down, to wait for this madness to end. He wearily slouched on one of the benches there and dropped his head in his hands. 

What a mess. He should probably grow a pair and just - remain calm, learn how to handle a situation like this. Time will help, of course, because after all, time heals. Will it heal even his pain?

"Dan? Are you alright?"

He didn't know Scott for very long but he was already able to recognize the sound of his steps, cautious and slow when approaching him.

"It's okay," Daniel mumbled, embrarrassed by the fact that anyone could see him like this - well, and especially Scott. He blinked fast, getting rid of the ridiculously useless water in his eyes. "I just felt - anxious a bit, out there, with the people all around - I need to get used to this - "

McTominay came the bench and crouched down right in front of him. "You scored your first penalty for us. That is a moment to remember."

"I know, and I will - "

Scotty took his hands and gently, without pressuring him too much, he made him place those hands down on the bench. "You scored a winning pen, here, in the capital of Wales, on this stadium. Your dad would be so proud."

Dan bit his lip and dared to look at the older boy whose eyes were full of soft, unforced interest. "Everyone keeps saying that."

"Because it's true."

"But he's not here."

There was no answer from Scott for a while and Dan couldn't really blame him for the lack of words because - what could he say now? He just covered Dan's hands on the bench with his own, but the gesture was worth millions of words. It was a soothing, calming, real gesture of affection which Daniel welcomed with a relieved sigh.

"He's watching over you, I'm sure," Soctt finally said.

Dan nodded. He wasn't five, he couldn't think of it as a child would, he couldn't imagine his beloved Dad sitting on some magic cloud in the sky, smiling at him from above, yet still those words brought him a certain kind of comfort. Maybe, after all, he _is_ indeed watching over him. Maybe, somehow, he _is_ proud of him - even though he's not _here_ anymore.

And maybe Scott is here as his guardian angel. His father, wherever he might be now, probably managed to make sure he's looked after well.

A weak smile appeared on his lips, and in a second, Scott was smiling too. 

"I hope so."

Scott squeezed his hands supportively and got up.

"Scotty?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

McTominay smiled. It took them way too long to let go of each other's hand.


	4. The game

There was always something special about each and every game, but none of all the games he has ever played seemed as important as this one. _It's Manchester United_, the voice in his head repeated as he was putting on his shoes. It doesn't get any bigger than this. It's _Manchester_. And you'll be sitting on the bench, waiting for your chance - Daniel was sure he was gonna get it. The boss assured him it was gonna happen.

"Good luck," he wished to the other guys. They all patted his shoulders and some even ruffled his hair and he felt like a kid, being left behind by the older guys who were up to some mischief and fun while all he could do was stand aside and watch.

"Dan, when you come on - " Daniel smiled because Scott used "_when_" and not "_if_" as if there was no doubt he was gonna play later in the game. "You need to show everyone, okay?"

The older boy ran his fingers through Dan's curls and smiled. "You're gonna shine."

He nodded and exhaled, feeling the shivers run down his spine. So this is the moment...

Scott's affectionate smile had it usual soothing power. He took a deep breath and smiled in return.

"That's my boy." Scott touched his cheek and playfully poked it. As much as Daniel would normally hate it and feel being belittled and treated like a child, much to the amusement of the boys, he didn't feel any annoyance at such gestures. He loved it. It was making his head feel...strangely light and free of worries. The whole world was in order when Scott gazed in his eyes and praised him.

He could still feel the touch of Scott's hand in his hair as he sat down on the bench. 

During the game, he mostly watched the Scottish midfielder. He admired his focus, his passion, his will to fight for every ball. _That's the right spirit_, he thought. _That's how it should be_. Scotty was too focused on the game to even give him a look, and even during half-time, he didn't say much.

However, when Daniel's time to be subbed on came, Scott was the first one to clap in support. 

A few passes, some easy dribbling, one small mistake - it was okay, Daniel reassured himself. It's a debut, and it's 3-0. Mistakes can be forgiven now. But then there was Paul running towards the goal, and Daniel didn't even know how but somehow he made it there at the same time and Paul decided to give him the pass and - a slip, a mistake, he thought it was over, sure the keeper must save this - but it went in. And the whole stadium exploded with cheers.

He ran towards the corner flag, screaming with joy, and there were Aaron and Lingard and then Victor and someone else, he closed his eyes, feeling the bodies surrounding him, the hands patting his back, the words of support; he closed his eyes and tried to think of his dad, of the way he always supported him, ever since he was kicking the ball around the local pitch in their town after school - and now, the Stretford End was going crazy.

He felt a pair of arms wrap around his body as he was being lifted, up in the air, from the reach of everyone else and he knew exactly who it was, he recognized the feeling, the smell, the touch - he felt Scott's frantic heartbeat against his own chest and he buried his face in the crook of Scott's neck.

"You did it - !" 

He couldn't even tell if it was Scott's voice or someone else's. He just dug his fingers in the fabric of Scott's shirt and let out a dry "Yes!" in response.

He was back on the ground withing milliseconds and everyone just huddled up with him again.

_He did it indeed_.

When he finally got out of the huddle, one man was still by his side, holding his arm. "I told you so!"

He was way too emotional right now to react to it, but he remembered those words well for later. After the game and after interviews when he finally - finally! - got to the dressing room, all the lads congratulated him again and once again, he felt somehow different when it was Scott talking to him. 

"I told you you would shine."

He smiled at the Scotsman gratefully.

Scott sat next to him on the bus as well; it was really as if he wanted to stuck with him forever now. "So how do you feel now?"

"Yeah, it's unbelievable," Dan repeated for the third time in a row. Then he laughed and shook his head. "I can't even describe it, and everyone still keeps asking."

"You'll learn this drill. There are so many more goals to come for you."

"That would be great."

"You know you're now kind of a super-sub yourself?" Scott placed his hand on Dan's thigh, giving him a little pat. Daniel's heart skipped a beat and he forgot immediately what Scott was asking about, so he just laughed and looked at him, hoping that would be enough. Scott was still gazing in his eyes, but there was a different kind of question written in them, the_ unspoken one_. His hand still rested on Dan's thigh. 

And while Dan's thoughts were a mess, a mixture of questions and fears and doubts, it felt _right_. 

He covered Scott's hand with his own.

They stayed like that the whole ride back.


	5. The champagne

"How about we celebrate that goal of yours?" Scott asked him when they got out of the team bus.

"Celebrate? How?"

"Well, I thought - some champagne."

"Champagne?"

Daniel's questions and the tone of disbelief in his voice made him look even more innocent and younger and Scott had to laugh.

"One glass."

"I shouldn't - well, we shouldn't - "

"Oh, come on. The new kid never sets the rules." He playfully jabbed Dan. He could still remember the touch of their hands from the bus, and although he loved it, he wasn't sure how to act upon it now. The only solution was to get Daniel alone and - just see - and wait - and something will eventually happen. "I'll drive."

Daniel stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, looking at Scott cautiously. The _driving_ part didn't go well with the mention of _drinking_ champagne. He has always been very careful about each of them, and he never would dare to combine them. "Where?"

Scott shrugged. "To my place?"

"You got champagne there?"

"Yeah. For special occasions, you know - " He used his remote car keys. "That's the lavish lifestyle. You better get used to it."

The thoughts were whirling in Dan's head. He definitely shouldn't drink -_ but after all, it was only a glass of champagne, that should probably be allowed, right?_ \- and he probably shouldn't bother Scott now, after such an emotional and draining match - _but if Scott himself asked him to come_? He was still waiting, unsure whether he should try to avoid this situation or continue with it. Scott glanced at him and his heart skipped a beat.

Everything was just happening so fast. His move to this club, the whole summer, training sessions and now the first game - and Scott has been by his side throughout the whole period. He was indeed his guardian angel, and conveniently, he was always there for him in an inobtrusive, quiet, patient way. I am here, as if his whole presence said, I am here if you need me. He never forgot to ask him how he is and if everything is okay. Hell, sometimes, he even handed him a towel after the training, and sometimes, he would remind him to stay hydrated, and each and every gesture of affection of this kind made Dan blush and feel...flattered? protected? safe? 

Even on the bus earlier - Scott's hand on his thigh, a gesture he would consider to be too personal, close and strange for someone whom he didn't really know that well - and - for a guy, most importantly? - but it felt nice.

Staying with him for now could mean more of this fluttery feeling inside of his chest, and Daniel was definitely up for that.

"Alright then."

In the car, he wanted to ask about so many things. He wanted to ask _Why are you so protective?_, he wanted to ask _What am I to you?_, and he wanted to touch his hand again. _It felt nice_, he thought lamely as he watched Scott fasten his seatbelt and place his hands on the wheel. He always looked so composed and calm, it seemed really impressive to watch.

"Dan?"

His thoughts were torn apart by the soothing voice. He looked at Scott with confusion. "Huh?"

"The seatbelt."

"Oh."

Yeah, he would totally forget. Sometimes, he was like this. A bit restless, a bit confused, and a bit lost. After all, he should be thankful for the way Scotty has always made sure he's alright.

He fastened his seatbelt and Scott smiled approvingly, turning the gear on.

"You can stay with me - you know - at my place - "

"Yeah? That would be great." Daniel felt a little nervous saying that. Staying _with him_? As a - as a friend? That was a good thing, a proper bonding time with teammates was something he hoped for, but with Scott, it all had a slightly different feeling to it.

They chatted about random things during the ride, Daniel's attention was fully focused on the fact that Scott was taking him to his home. For the night. He was confused by his own train of thoughts - for God's sake, he's slept in his friends' houses and flats many times, there was nothing weird about that, then why was he feeling so - _different_? It must have been because of the hand on his thigh, definitely. The hand on his thigh and the fact that he liked the touch.

He could barely follow Scott's words so he just mumbled occasional "yes" and "no" every now and then.

"That goal must have been exhausting," Scott pointed out and Dan just smiled and shrugged. Funny enough, it actually was _emotionally_ exhausting.

"I'll take that as a yes," Scotty said, and Daniel couldn't help but laugh. The warm feeling around his heart which he had when Scott was standing on his chair in that dining room at their hotel, singing with a spoon in his hand, came back now as well as the blush on his face. He was glad it was already almost dark outside so his flushed cheeks weren't as obvious.

Although when Scott raised his eyebrows with a soft "Well?" and looked at him for a second, amused by his sleepy and giggly behavior, he wanted to just melt under that stare.

Scott's home was as simple as it could be, a regular row house with the simplest driveway where he parked with an elegance of practice. Not even the inside of the house looked like a football star's home, there was nothing lavish about the staircase, the doors, the floor, and the carpet - everything looked nice, modern and well-kept but nothing too posh or crazy. Scott was a simple guy, really. The admiration for him in Dan's heart only grew.

"You live here alone?" he asked, as he walked through the hallway, looking up and down the walls, looking for a sign of luxury - or for a sign of a family or at least girlfriend on the photos that were hung there.

"Yeah. This used to be my parents' house but I bought them a better one, outside the city. Well, not exactly bought I just...used some of my money, and they added some of theirs. I don't really buy houses on an everyday basis yet, you know? And I'm staying here usually after the matches or before them."

"That's nice."

"I mean - I don't need anything big since it's only for me... I don't need five bathrooms and ten bedrooms, you know?"

"Yeah, I see."

"So - a glass for the hero?" He opened the top cabinet in the kitchen and took two tall champagne glasses out of there.

"That's a bad influence, you know?" Daniel took the glasses from him so he had free hands again.

"Come on, you think Messi doesn't have a glass of wine after a good match?"

"You really wanna compare either of us to Messi?"

Scott smirked, pulling a bottle of champagne out of the fridge. 

"So this is what you do after a match? You come home and chug a bottle of champagne?"

"It's just for today."

"Come on, you couldn't know I'd score."

"There would still be a reason to drink. _Your debut_."

"That's very thoughtful of you." He said it with a hint of sarcasm in his voice but it was indeed very thoughtful, and once again, Scott's care left him almost speechless.

Scott opened the bottle like a professional, the cork ended up somewhere in the corner of the room and the sound of bubbles poured into the elegant tall glasses was drowned in James' laughter. "Enough, enough!" he gestured, fearing that the champagne might foam too much.

"Well," Scotty announced solemnly. "Here's to you and your goal."

"And to my father - "

Scott promptly checked his expression, Daniel noticed that and his smile grew even wider._ No, today, he wasn't gonna break down_. He felt happy and proud.

"_And to your father_," Scott agreed when he made sure it's not inappropriate to mention him now. "And to everyone who's believed in you - to everyone who's proud of you. To you!" He clinked his glass against Daniel's.

Dan barely even tasted the champagne. He couldn't drink, really. Not now, when the emotions were still so strong and when he felt that lump in his throat. Scott's eyes were watching him over the rim of his glass. Daniel smiled with a silent apology, though he knew that Scott must understand this.

"Wanna see the support you have now?" Scott asked, putting his own unfinished glass on the counter. "Check your twitter. Or Instagram. It must have exploded with love and praise."

"I don't care about that much."

"Really?"

"I don't want to live off the praise on the internet. I want to work hard so people who actually know me have a reason to be proud - "

"I'm sure everyone is proud of you right now." He took a small step closer to Dan who was leaning back against the counter. He couldn't say those words just like that - he had to add a gesture, as always because words simply couldn't do justice to his feelings when he was watching the wide yet somewhat shy smile on the younger boy's face. He raised his hand, undecided where to place it now, but since Dan was so short and his hair looked so inviting to touch, he opted for that. He touched the hair and slid his hand down, on the back of Dan's head. "I definitely am," he heard himself say as if it was someone else talking. Dan's chocolate eyes were staring up at him. One or two seconds passed, Scott didn't let go of Dan's hair. The warm undertone in Daniel's eyes was burning a hole in Scott's heart and he needed something in return, something that would extinguish the fire - 

Daniel's lips parted.

_That's it_ \- he thought, unable to take his eyes off of Dan's mouth. His heartbeat got rapid just at the thought of that - _a kiss_.

"Scotty?"

He answered with a kiss. With his left hand holding Dan's head from behind, he just simply pressed his lips against Daniel's, not counting seconds that have passed but the beats of his racing heart. He heard and felt the soft gasp, the tension, and then, then acceptance if that was a thing to be felt; at that moment, he came back to senses, with a clearer head and a red alarm going off at the back of his mind. Jesus Christ, he must have fucked up everything now - he hastily grabbed Dan's hand and tried to find the words, any words, that could explain what has just happened but only the truth could come out of his mouth. "I've wanted to do this since... I don't know." Since forever, he wanted to say, but they don't even know each other forever, and at first, it was just simple care and friendly affection what drew him closer to Dan. And then, words were not enough. He needed to touch his hand, pat his head and shoulders any chance he got, find any excuse to sit next to him. And even that was not sufficient anymore.

He watched Dan's face, looking for any slight sign of anger or disgust, but Dan's beautiful, wide-open eyes had none of that; there was only a dreamy, hazy confusion, and then Daniel took a deep breath as if a great weight fell off his shoulders and he finally spoke. "Oh God - _that's it_!" He threw his hands around Scott's neck, having to stand on his tippy toes, and kissed him in return, sloppily and awkwardly, right at the corner of his mouth, and then buried his face in the crook of Scotty's neck. "I didn't know - " he mumbled. 

"Good?" McTominay asked carefully, wrapping his hands around the shorter boy, as tight as he's always wanted, for as long as he's always wished for.

"_Perfect_."

They just fitted like a glove, he realized. Daniel, with his height, was perfect for a tight, loving embrace, with his head resting on Scott's shoulder, breathing right next to his ear. Scott wouldn't even try for another kiss because this - _this_ was perfect and he didn't need more as long as Dan was in his arms.

He could feel Daniel's heartbeat against his own chest. 

_This must be the start of something beautiful_, he thought as he buried his face in the messy chocolate hair.


End file.
